About This Center

Iboga providers since 2004. We offer retreats for all types of addictons and spiritual development in an off grid environmentally friendly and organic setting. You have the choice of on-suite bedroom in the house or outside in nature in a yurt with specially built bathroom block, or a cosy wood cabin, all in the garden space. We are experienced iboga providers who work in a happy, family setting. We work with heroin addiction, alcohol addiction, cocaine addiction, depression, spiritual development, we offer strong pure effective theraputic doses.

Reviews

I decided to use iboga to treat post traumatic stress and long-term depression. I won't go into details about the trip as everyone experiences it differently but I will summarise it. I had powerful and clear visions which cleared up and helped to explain what happened when I was a child. It is a physically difficult experience but I followed Bilal and Catherine's advice on how to prepare and surrendered to the iboga. The iboga spirit is a healing spirit, it gives you what you need and not necessarily what you want. I definitely got what I needed. Trust in what happens in the trip and when things feel like they're getting too intense or your are feeling nauseous or anxious, remind yourself that these feelings will pass. Trust the healing process.
You must be prepared mentally and physically for the experience, it took me several days to recover physically. The nausea and ataxia are highly unpleasant. For me the nausea was not as unpleasant as the motion sickness I have experienced in cars, boats and aeroplanes. The disorientation of the ataxia was horrible but as long as I didn't move my head I was fine.
The day after the trip I felt I would not be able to do it again but those feelings passed quickly and I would definitely do another treatment, perhaps next time I will do a double treatment. Mentally and psychically the positive effects were immediate, I felt calm and at peace with my past. It is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, and very different from any other hallucinogen I have tried. I felt that I was in the presence of a powerful spirit that quite ruthlessly showed me what I needed to see, but which was also very compassionate.
Catherine and Bilal are real, genuine people. There is no bullshit involved, no fake shamanism, no attempt to baffle anyone with science or psychotherapy. They know the power of iboga and want to heal people - it's that simple.
The treatment takes place at their home in a family setting, if you prefer more solitude during your treatmemt you can choose to stay in the yurt or lodge. I found the family setting to be quite comforting but can understand that some people may want a quieter setting.
I will definitely return for another treatment to continue the healing and I would definitely recommend Harambe Detox. It is not a clinical setting and it's not a bourgeois luxury rehab "resort". IT IS REAL, AND THEY ARE REAL. And that's why I loved it.
For anyone doubting Harambe Detox due to the few less than positive reviews I would say make your decision based on your expectations. Talk to Catherine and Bilal about those expectations and then make your own mind up. But do not underestimate the power of iboga or Catherine and Bilal's genuine wish to heal people.

I recently completed my Iboga treatment for alcohol addiction and can wholeheartedly recommend Catherine & Bilal's treatment centre. I loved the delightful natural surroundings and comfortable house and garden. All my needs where taken care of at all times and I felt safe and well looked after. I cannot compute what the very negative impressions of the previous reviewer are based on, as they seem to be talking about a very different reality than I experienced.

September 29, 2017
Harambe Detox Centre: Valenica Spain
Location on google maps: (39.649151, -0.722053)
Pluscode: 8CFXJ7XH+M5
I am a woman, 45 years old. After many years of struggling with alcohol abuse (10ltrs of beer a day off and on 35 years), depression and anxiety I decided to try an unconventional way to see if that would help. I’d been clean a year at a time but always fell back.
I had been using anti depressants for five years combined with Valium (diazepam) prescribed by a psychiatrist. Due to a chronic skin problem (Chronic Urticaria) I was also prescribed steroids for 4 months. I explicitly told Kathy and Bilal at my intake what medication I had been taking and for how long.
Kathy & Bilal told me that I was unable go ahead with the Ibogaine treatment as I was taking Ssri’s. They recommended that I first had to undergo a detox program. It was agreed on at their house for 12 days using Taperaid (Chinese herbs) and marijuana pills, and to stop all my medication immediately. Price 2,300euro incl. food and stay. Within 2 weeks they said I would then be able to go ahead with the Ibogaine treatment. I felt that 190euro per night expensive but felt desperate and agreed.
Due to stopping Valium and Anti depressants in one go my mind was very unstable and felt as if I had taken LSD. Due to this stress it made my chronic skin condition worse.
After 3 days detoxing I was very ill. I decided to call my husband to pick me up. I felt that I had no choice but to stop the detox program and continue alone. My husband took me to the hospital in Spain 9x in 2 weeks, as I had to undergo many tests. The Doctors told me that I would need a lot of rest and time to heal my chronic skin problem, and told me to gradually reduce the ssri’s over a period of months.
I contacted Kathy and Bilal and asked for a refund, not a full refund but a fair amount that we could hopefully both agree on.
Kathy still insisted that I would be well enough to go ahead with the ibogaine treatment and said it would also help my skin problem. I disagreed and took the Doctors advice. It is now 2 months later and I am still very ill.
I paid 2,300euro for three nights detox (excl. ibogaine treatment). Kathy’s reply: ” You left the detox! Is that normal that you get a refund or meds to go away with? You are clean which is the objective and you need to stop fighting with me”. Fighting????
I knew then I was ripped off!!
They should never have taken me in as a client, POINT. I had to leave for valid medical reasons and I felt it was fair to reimburse me for a large part of the detox. Their feedback (which by the way I find hilarious) was: Bilal said “you paid me for my knowledge” and Kathy said “you paid me for my tools”.
What a bloody joke!
The problem is they are not Doctors (although they both think they are), and have little to no experience with Ssri’s or Steroids. They just told me that they regularly took people to the hospital in a psychotic state,( meaning if something went wrong with their clients who underwent the ibogaine treatment) and it was no problem as there was a hospital 10mins away. Very comforting!!!
By the way, there were no organic meals 3x a day: (I couldn’t eat much due to detoxing but that didn’t mean I couldn’t eat anything) Kathy’s response, “I feel too unwell to cook”.
No professional detox experience from either individual!
The hygiene in their house was by far not up to scratch and don’t go there in the summer months as the house has no shade at all and you will bake, no airco, not enough energy for fans. On the website: “Beautiful place in the heart of the Valenican Countryside”, I didn’t see that.
Conclusion:
Please think before jumping on a plane form the other side of the world in desperation feeling very vulnerable (which most of us with severe problems do). Do not undergo detox in their hands they are not equipped to offer this and you will loose a shit load of money in doing so.
I have done some research now I’m home and below have posted all Ssri’s and other medication that you must look out for before considering to undergo the ibogaine treatment:
“The risk of experiencing cardiac complications or other dangerous side effects increases when ibogaine is taken in conjunction with the following medications and substances”. (not a complete list):
Anti-arrhythmic drugs:
Metoprolol, Propafenon, Timolol maleate
Antidepressant drugs:
Amitriptyline (Elavil), Citalopram, (Celexa) Clomipramine, Desipramine, Duloxetine, (Cymbalta, Ariclaim, Xeristar, Yentreve, Duzela, Dulane), Escitalopram (Lexapro), Imipramine (Tofranil), Paroxetine (Paxil), Venlafaxine (Effexor)
Antipsychotics:
Aripiprazole (Abilify, Aripiprex),Haloperidol (Haldol), Pimozide (Orap), Risperidone (Risperdal), Thioridazine (Mellaril, Sonapax, Thioril)
Other drugs:
Amiodarone, Azithromycin (Zithromax), Bepridil (Vascor), Chloroquine (Aralen), Chlorpromazine (Thorazine, Largactil),Clarithromycin (Jiaxin), Disopyramide (Norpace), Dofetilide (Tikosyn), Droperidol (Inapsine, Droleptan, Dridol, Xomolix, Innovar), Erythromycin (Isotrexin), Flecainide acetate (Tambocor, Almarytm, Apocard, Ecrinal, Flécaine), Halofantrine (Halfan), Moxifloxacin (Avelox, Avalox, Avelon, Vigamox, Moxeza), Pentamidine (NebuPent), Procainamide (Pronestyl, Procan, Procanbid), Quinidine (Quinaglute), Sevoflurane (Ulane), Codeine (3-methylmorphine), Dextromethorphan (DXM, DM), Methadone (Methadose), Mexiletine (Mexitil), Ondansetron (Zofran), Tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Istubal, Valodex), Tramadol (Ultram, Ralivia, Tramal)
Furthermore, foods containing bergamottin or bergamot oil, such as grapefruit juice, as well as a variety of other supplements and over-the-counter medications such as Prilosec (Omeprazole), some gastric disorder drugs, anti-fungal medications, HIV treatment drugs, and some antihistamines, can all significantly contribute to cardiac complications while circulating in the body at time of ibogaine treatment.
I can totally relate to the other negative reviews I’ve read based on what I saw for myself.
WATCH OUT for these people because in my case it had nothing to do with my well being, making money was their priority!!!

Before I explain my experience at Harambe Detox Center, I would like to provide a bit of background on myself. I’m 25 years old, from the United States but currently living in Berlin, Germany. I’ve been a heroin addict for 8 years, starting at the young age of 16 and continuing steadily through until now. I first found out about Ibogaine three years ago and since then, I’ve gone to ClearSky in Cancun, Mexico as well as an individual provider in the Netherlands in order to undergo ibogaine treatment for my addiction. I never managed to fully kick my habit, as I found myself relapsing 6 months or so after each treatment.
As many addicts can relate to, the process of gathering up financial and moral support to undergo something as expensive and complicated as ibogaine treatment is incredibly difficult. The longer an addict proves to be a problem, the less and less likely family members, friends, and loved ones want to help and support them. I found myself in this exact position recently as I fell into a hole of heavily using and retreating from my support structures. So when I finally came to my senses and realized that I needed a way out of my life of despair, I reconnected with my parents and friends and attempted to raise the money I needed for these expensive treatments. During this time, I encountered the Iboga Healing House, a seemingly professional looking facility run by Adam ##### and Edyta#####. Over the course of two weeks, I had numerous skype calls with them, got them a full medical work up and EcG examination, all at my expense and finally convinced my parents to support one last attempt at saving myself by utilizing ibogaine. Well, life seemed to have a different plan for me and I couldn’t have been better off for this turn of events.
A mere hours before I was to book flights to the Iboga Healing House and pay them their fee, I get a message from them claiming that they no longer want to treat me and that their only reason for denying me treatment was because “they reserve the right to refuse treatment to any patients they feel they don’t want to treat.” I’m young, healthy, and was able to afford it in that moment, but with their refusal to treat me, the financial and moral support that I had worked so hard to get from my loved ones was stripped right out from underneath me.
I was shocked and terrified that people claiming to be “healing providers” would treat a vulnerable addict in such a manner as this, and to this day they have said absolutely nothing in response to my numerous questions regarding why they refused me as a patient. Life had a different answer for me, just when I needed it though. In a frantic search, I came across the Harambe Detox Center in Valencia, Spain. They were immediately responsive and incredibly accommodating to my needs and scheduling and their fee for treatment expresses their sincere desire to help people, not monetize them. Upon arrival in Spain, I was taken care of in such a caring and understanding manner that I instantly felt at home at this beautiful plot of land in the countryside where you feel like you can honestly connect with yourself and your place within nature. Another thing you should really consider when deciding upon a ibogaine provider is simply what “kind” of ibogaine they are working with. Not all are the same and it’s very important to know what you are getting. They work with the strongest total alkaloid I have ever had the pleasure of taking and the results speak for themselves. Highly reliable and quality material which provides the best setting for a proper flood dose.
I cannot express my sincere gratitude for Catherine and Bilal, they are exactly what you want in ibogaine care providers. They work together in a family home environment to provide a balanced and challenging environment where you are given the best set of conditions and tools to really work through your internal issues surrounding addiction. Bilal pushed me to fight through my weaknesses and forced me to become a stronger person for it; but not in a patronizing or demeaning way, but simply encouraging me to dig deeper into myself and my psychosis with what I believe I need. I initially resisted this advice, but I soon came to learn it’s importance and value in this recovery process. In the three times taking ibogaine prior to coming to Harambe, there was limited instruction or drive to the care providers. They just wanted us to be happy and didn’t really want to invest in learning about us and pushing us in specific ways about our personality. The environment at Harambe is the perfect place for those who are seeking a true and brutally honest look at themselves and why they are where they are and how to get up from there. I will be forever grateful to Catherine, Bilal and the kids. You all have shown me such compassion, respect, and joy that I will never forget the time I’ve spent here. Thank you.

I just loved every minute of my experience with Cathy and Bilal.. What a fantastic retreat .... For me it was a perfect mix of tranquility and vibrance. They are such lovely, chatty, caring people and I felt so looked after and safe. You can really tell that they care about people. I had a great 2 experiences with Ibogaine - don't get me wrong its no walk in the park but Bilal knew how much to give me. My trips were personal to me and my OCD - very repetitive (almost drives you mad but its what I needed to get over my OCD). There were other visions in there too but I don't feel like discussing as Iboga shows you what you need and its different for everybody... though I do believe I saw the future and the other side.... I also saw things from my families point of view and how they view me which can only strengthen ones relationship with family members. I would go back in a heart beat. I'd go back tomorrow and do Iboga again if I could find the time and money but I certainly will be back hopefully next year or the year after. Big hugs.... I could go on all day and write a lot more... the only other things I'll say is that I LOVED cathy's cooking (even though Ibogaine makes you not very hungry) and Bilal's music. And they are both incredible, knowledgeable intelligent people. Awwwwwwww I want to go back!!! :) big hugs and thanks again - see you guys soon xxxxxx

The best place I could choose to do Iboga. And I'll tell you why! In my opinion.

First I feel I need to write cause of all the good reviews Harambe has, one is realy not good and I don't understand. It's like if those people were never in the same place I was. And if you choose to do Iboga, you have to place yourself in good professional hands.
And this is what I found at Harambe detox center, at Bilal and Catherine's house. As it is mention on their website, its a non-clinical approach. And for me that's what made me decide to go as well as all the good experiences people had there. I decided NOT to look around on the web about people experiences with Iboga or other stuff cause I truly think this is not a good way to prepare yourself. But of course I read what people experience where they go and even tough I've read the bad stuff, wich was only 1 above almost hundred, it did'nt put me off at all. I tend to think that people who are so judgmental, are not comfortable with themself, were ever they go.
To do that kind of work you have to be NON-JUGMENTAL, open mind and your heart in your hands. Because you deal with all sort of people. You have to had work on yourself. This is my opinion. And this is what I found at Harambe. Good open-mind people, professional, serious in their work/dedication, loving and caring.
I first went in november 2016 after being on prescription opiates pain-killer and my consumption went in the wrong direction. I'm a woman in my forties and when I was in my twenties I had an experience with opiates and full on withdrawals. And I did'nt want to feel that horrible again in my life. So I search a bit the web and I found Ibogaine. Something I knew absolutly nothing about. It was hard for me to believe a plant like this even existed and most of the people don't even know it exist and can help in so many ways! I mean to take something and after a long "trip" you wake up NO W/D it's hard to believe. It's a miracle! So after my very little research, I came upon Harambe, looked at their reviews and got in touch with them. I was not feeling good at all, realy anxious and wanting so bad to get rid of the opiates. I had loads of questions and Catherine would answer at all of my emails, before booking and after I made my reservation. I mean I was writing almost every day and I would always get a response. This is good service.
So I arrived at night and Catherine came to pick me up at the airport and I was in w/d. They got in touch with me in the morning and on Bilal advice, we decided to start the treatment upon my arrival and I was realy happy about that. When I arrived I was so cold and on the edge. There were 2 others at the house that arrived the same day. And all 3 of us were there for 3 very different reason. So that means they can deal with all sorts of "problems" at the same time wich for me is pretty good. In their own house, with the kids around. Opening and letting people in their intimacy/family life tells a lot about what kind of people they are. But even tough you are reading this, you have to experience it to believe it! Ok, so I'm going in other direction now. Coming back to my resume of my experience.
Upon arrival Bilal took care of me right away. Put me by the fire place to make sure I was getting warm and gave me the test dose so my withdrawals could cease. And after about 30min or so I was feeling much better. We were all in the living room, talking to each other, casual normal chat and I felt I could really trust them. No long after Bilal gave me the rest and I decided to go to my room and lie down. Wait for Iboga to come in. I was ready, no fear. I was happy. I could feel it kicked in gently. Catherine came in my room, she lied down on the other bed and I ask her why? And she said it was to make sure I was ok. When I could felt the Iboga more and more I told Catherine she could leave. I wanted to be by myself. She left then, BANG! I was under for a very long time and it was no scaring at all. I was a bit sick, not much. The days after I was lying down almost most of the time in my bedroom. I felt like it and one of Bilal advice is to Lie down as much as possible. Loads of people are scared to do that cause being with themself make them unease. But Iboga wants you to lie down so it can work better at healing you! In my opinion. I truly think that my first experience went so well cause I didn't had much expectation (the only one being NO WITHDRAWALS PLEASE), I didn't read nor search the web and I didn't made a plan with Harambe. But I know that if someone has other needs, they can ask them ANYTHING and they will do it. So it really depends on each one of us to ASK. Cause no one is gonna read your mind.
When I was ready to start eating and I could feel some hunger I starded to ask for food and was offered with a variety of really good fresh home cooked food. They have a huge garden but during winter, as most people know, not much grow in it. So they have to buy and it is fresh, organic and for my taste, really good food! I mean you go there to get clean and better right?! So why would you put junk, bad food inside yourself?
Bilal was very attentive with me, making sure I stay hydrated with water, tea, herb tea, anything good!
Catherine cooking was amazing! My type of cooking so for me it was not hard to adjust. But I understand not all people eat that way. But it's the WAY to eat!
About the sounds ( or noise ): Normal every day family life sound. Under Ibogaine you have ear sensitity and can hear stuff that are NOT happening at all, I know that cause I went back! During the first days Catherine, if it's possible, takes the kids out cause they know, of course they do, about the sounds! I remember, and this is a good feeling, when Bilal started to play really good music, it was strange at first but felt really good!
My recovery was pretty good and quick and even tough I lied down.
One of the magic moment is when all of the crap in your head stop. Just like that. Finishes. It is an unbelievable feeling.
Feel free to talk about anything with them, ask them anything. They are so non judgemental and it's a good feeling to be around people like them while doing something so transformable!
I was there for a whole week and almost didn't want to leave!!!
So I came back! yes very quickly, or not. I wanted to do a doble dose, the doble dose Catherine had proposed from the start. From their experience, with my background, this is want I needed. But I didn't saw it clearly and they didn't impose anything.
February 2017, I'm back. Doble dose, no drug involve.
Very different voyage, experiences.
Let me tell you to "disconnect" during your stay. Its positive for you. They won't impose that. Just recommend. And I understand. On my doble dose I went in many different places and I really tought I went there and started to tell Catherine all sort of war/planet discovery, invasion etc. She patiently try to talk me out, saying it was Iboga etc. So can you imagine if I had acces to my phone or a computer and started telling all of this to my relatives? I don't think so. Stay disconnected. For your family sakes!
Again the second time around they took lovingly good care of me. Attentive to all my needs. Food still superbe. Kids are awesome!
If you read correctly their web site you'll see it's a family orientated facility, a farm house with life. If you need other wise please choose another one. For their sakes and yours.
Catherine and Bilal, I thank you so very much. You are amazing people that do an awesome job. Helping others like you do, that's the way to go! Keep doing it and please, I know youre always trying to make it better around the house for example the instalations, this is ok to upgrade! But you guys don't need upgrade at all!
Claudia.

About Harambe Detox experience, review,
I had some expectations about this experience that were unmatched.
First a brief description. The place is a approximately 150m2 house, with an indoor patio, surrounded by orange tree fields, hills, the highway a few hundred meters away and a quarry on the distance. Found at the end of an exit from the highway a few kilometers from the nearest city Llíria and 15 minutes car ride from the nearest Hospital.
There are 5 people total at the house, Cathy and Bilal wife and husband of the family, and three children of approximately 16, 8 and 3 years old.
Next a note about Iboga. While on it, sound, light and mood felt sensible compared to off it. I expected my attention to be focused on the healing process, nothing else. Many unmatched expectations derive from this.
Examples. A few things that conflicted with my expectations.
I vomited during the session. The bucket wasn't changed nor cleaned for three days until I cleaned it.
The was no use of a heart monitor during the session. There was a misunderstanding during the skype call I had with Cathy. I understood my heart would be monitored throughout the session. This reassured me as I understood that had something unusual happen to my heart rate some sort of alarm would go off. I was scared to go to sleep, worrying I might have some heart problem and it would go unnoticed. I was checked every 30 minutes by Bilal entering into the room asking if I was okay. My heart rate was taken at one point at the beginning of the trip with a blood pressure monitor.
The overall mood at the house felt unpleasant, tense, silent, unsettling. I felt Cathy and Bilal don't get along and that creeping out on the mood. Heard a few low voice argues, and some higher tone ones. I expected a different mood and setting. Didn't felt embraced or at ease, rather alone and worried.
As kids live there, there was way more noise at the house than expected. The young ones as they are developing their vocal chords tended to high pitch shout throughout the days. Kids to do that I expected. Kids doing that there at that time I did not. Sometimes kids were taken out, sometimes they were told to stop. Sometimes they did stop, sometimes not. I asked a few times this subject to be addressed. I expected a different quality of the environment
After two days without eating I felt starving. If Cathy wasn't home, which happened a few times, food wasn't available. Bilal did not provide any. I stood up still halfway down the trip to find something to eat and wasn't helped by Bilal. Opened the fridge and didn't find much to eat. The kitchen seemed quite dirty, as did the fridge. Decided to take some cereal, and the milk brick I took was rotten, withe the consistency of a yogurt and solid chunks, quite unpleasant. Didn't felt like I was being taken care of.
Later on I was provided a meal. To my surprised it had spicy on it. With an empty stomach and after vomiting I suspected spicy food would favor stomach ache. It didn't happened and at the same time the believe that I wasn't being taken care of kept growing.
I felt I had to keep pushing to be attended and my attention kept switching from the healing process.
There's no communicator or ring or bell to call Cathy or Billal while lying in bed. I shouted to be attended. I see a small electronic device making communication more effective effortless.
I was given the test dose by Bilal while Cathy was away. At some point being on the trip I hear Bilal leaving the house shouting on the phone, "... but he's already taken one!,,,"`. Sometime later Cathy arrives on a hurry and gives me the next dose. I felt there was I lack of communication between them.
The service provided by Bilal I rate very poor. I feel his behaviour as rude, unemphathetic, irresponsible, unrespectful, forgetsome, noisy. Yelling, listening to music on the next room without headsets despite having ones and me asking for it. Paying liitle attention to costumer needs, arguing, imperative kind of statements, use of blaming to deviate responsaility.
After a few days an argue sparked between us, me saying something like "man you are yellling all the time, please stop yelling".
I received no psychological guidance, which I believe I could benefit from. I don't feel I worked on my emotions, feelings, past events... I don't feel the experienced allowed me to resolve... I felt quite the same, frustrated.
I felt calm after moving to the wood cabin outsite the house. It was quite. Cried a bit, and felt like doing some of the work. Less anxious and worried that at the house.
During the days I stayed there (5 days) I didn't find much to do. There was no internet connection, and no signal on my phone. No nearby beautiful places.
I left a day earlier.
I spoke with a couple of people who had gone to Harambe before me, and was given positive reviews about the experience, particularly about their resultant mood after the trip and the cease of the drug abuse.

The perfect place to do ibogaine if you are serious about getting clean

The first thing you have to understand about ibogaine is that it isn’t supposed to be a walk in the park, and while it will take away your withdrawals pretty much straight away, there’s still a lot of work you have to do yourself if you really want to get clean. Expecting to turn up at Harambe and take a magic pill to sort out all your problems while you enjoy a week of luxury is not the right attitude, so seriously, take notice of what Cathy and Bilal tell you, because they will give you what you need – even if it isn’t what you want.
Their house is the perfect place to take ibogaine if you are really serious about getting off drugs. There’s no Jacuzzi, swimming pool or five-star catering, and it’s completely no frills, which is exactly how this sort of thing needs to be done, because ibogaine forces you to face up to your demons and spend some time taking a good hard look at yourself. The less distractions, the better, and while it may be a harrowing and uncomfortable experience, there’s no way to get clean without going through this. In fact, the reason so many of us stay on drugs is because we keep avoiding our real issues and are too scared to face up to ourselves. At Harambe, Cathy and Bilal won’t let you run away from yourself, and will force you to spend as much time as possible alone with yourself – so don’t fight them when tell you to go back to your room and lie down. Ibogaine is an amazing tool to help you achieve this, as not only does it make your withdrawals disappear, but it also brings you into contact with all the suppressed thoughts and feelings that you continually bury in your subconscious and try not to acknowledge.
However, ibogaine alone can’t force you to face these suppressed thoughts, and lots of people who come to Harambe seem not completely misunderstand what they have to do. You are here to climb a mountain, not to have a nice time. I’ve seen people come here and complain about the fact that there’s nothing to do or that the facilities aren’t luxurious enough for their liking. But the truth is these are just excuses. Yes, the days after taking ibogaine are very uncomfortable. You won’t be able to sleep, you’ll feel exhausted, and you’ll feel hungry but won’t be able to eat. It’s a weird feeling, but if you can’t handle a little bit of suffering then you probably aren’t ready to get off drugs – after all, the reason most of us get addicted to drugs is because they help us to block out the pain and suffering we experience in our lives, rather than face it.
While you’re here, Bilal and Cathy will give you tough love. Don’t ask them for junk food when you’re feeling a little uncomfortable, because they won’t give it to you – and you should be thankful to them for that. After all, ibogaine has just purged all the toxins from your body, so why do you want to start filling it with shit again? Stick to the healthy diet they give you, and man up and face yourself alone in the bedroom until they tell you it’s time to come out.

My motivations
I got in touch with Harambe partly because ibogaine's something I'd been wanting to experience for a long time for spiritual insight, and partly because I was in deep depression. I had arranged this years ago with another provider, which fell through, but I have met somebody who was treated by him before, and he said that if any of his friends gave up on their lives, he would really recommend it to them. As I was close to that point, his words got new significance to me.
Getting in touch
I initially corresponded with Cathy, and we arranged my dates, my medical tests, and she advised me to take a week long juice fast before the treatment. She later told me that she will be away during my treatment, and her husband Bilal will be with me. Bilal was a bit lousy with correspondence, and didn't exactly put me at ease at first, but finally after spending a few hours at their house I felt reassured by his confidence. His style of costumer care is not what you're used to from Marks and Spencer, but he knew what he was doing and he took good care of me and has never overstepped any of my boundaries. I personally much prefer his extra casual style to those gentle spoken hypocritically spiritual and enlightened people that you often find around psychedelics.
Honestly I was not 100% cool about giving my life in the hands of somebody I found online, but it reassured me that they allowed me to bring a friend, and Bilal even lent him his car so he could drive to town to do some shopping and look around.
The treatment at Harambe
I took the magnesium salt drink that gave me the shits, Bilal explained that the point of this, and the juice fast is to create a clean slate for ibogaine. I was not allowed to drink during the treatment and the preceding hours, because any water makes you throw up, and when you throw up, it's really violent, plus you lose any ibogaine left in you. This makes dosage difficult to keep track of, but Bilal does a good job managing it.
Bilal gave me a bunch of advice and reassurance to prepare me for what's coming. He didn't engage much in my story, like reasons to do this and the things I've seen, but I think he understood. I don't know if this is his personal style or he felt that I din't want to talk much, but I think it was a good thing, because I was engaging too much with my problems, and I didn't need another person to enable me.
The treatment was in a room in the family home, so it's very informal and no medical stuff like drips or heart monitor. I didn't miss it that extra level of safety though. Although this was the most mentally and physically draining experience of my life, I never felt my health was in danger.
The visions part
The treatment went like this: the first like 8 hours I was just seeing a lot of stuff. More than I can remember, but a lot. It was really intense, amazing, high frequency, and just exhausting to even witness. In the meantime I was conscious all along, but coordination of my body flew right out of the window, I wouldn't have been able to as much as adjust my pillow. Bilal was next room and told me to call him when I need or want anything, and came in regularly to check on me even if I didn't. Initially I thought I would feel more safe with somebody right next to me, but when I was in treatment, I understood there would be zero point to having somebody sit next to me, because this is a very internal journey. My sensitivity to sound and light got incredibly heightened, and Bilal did a great job blocking out all the light, but not so much the sounds. Every noise sounded like it was coming through a big steel pipe pointed at my ear, so even whatever small noises of daily life would snap me out of whatever vision I was having, but the dog yapping away was really doing my head in. I entertained fantasies about kicking him across the valley, and laughed about how unenlightened that is. I didn't see any particular point of a lot of my visions, and a lot of them were metaphors for things in my mind. I got to see into my mind like never before, and at one point I could feel my true emotions and values (as in what's important to me) without the distortion of thinking.
The quiet part
I was hoping to go deeper and have some breakthrough experience, and when the visions started wearing out, I started beating myself up over not having done so, then I just made the decision to stop thinking, and for the first time in my life I was able to do it COMPLETELY, for many hours. The next few days I could only think if I made a special effort, because my mind felt so exhausted. Bilal said that this part is a lot more important than the vision stage, and that it matters a lot to stay in this quiet part for as long as possible, because this is what makes the most difference. I now really see why, because we think so much and even if we try, we can't give ourselves much of a break from it, so several days are a miracle. When after coming home, friends have jokingly asked me if I've got enlightened, I said yes, but it's passed :P It's really good that Harambe gives the opportunity to stay for several days after the treatment, because having a space where you don't have to deal with anything and force yourself to think is really essential to make most of the experience.
My life afterwards
Although I didn't have the kind of breakthrough or the afterglow I read about in many reviews, it really helped with my life. First of all, immediately I put the problem that was causing my depression into place: out of my life. I can not say out of my mind, but I guess it's normal, still it was a huge leap for me to be able to act in my own interest again, and stop wasting all my energy, so it flowed right back into my life. I am once again able to take part in my life, and cultivate the things that I really care about: friendships, my work, my health and learning things. As time passed, I noticed that I have changed in few ways. I din't become better or worse, but I became more me, I work a bit differently from before, and in a few respects different things sit right with me than before.

Firstly, I am quite surprised to read the first review here of Harambe Detox centre. It is very far from the good experience I had there, as did the two guests that were visiting at the same time as I did. I have visited Bilal and Cathy twice, and received very good treatment. Many things of what the couple writing the review before me experienced as so bad, I guess had to do with misunderstandings and false expectations. On the Harambe website it is clearly stated that they offer treatment in a familiar atmosphere, not a clinical. I guess some people prefer it clinical, but then the price for the treatment also goes up, more than twice the price Harambe asks for, at least. As for the experiences during the treatment, it is true that one is "inside-out", very sensitive. I guess the stay for them started off on the wrong note, the things they mentioned being said on arrival is surely a misunderstanding, Bilal speaks quite fast and with an english accent that can be hard to follow if not used to it. Wrong expectations, misunderstandings, insecurity, and then ibogaine to top it off - the experience can get very strange and unsettling indeed. There are auditory hallucinations, ie one might think there is a party going on etc. etc. - I was sure there was a swedish guest in treatment right outside my door, I heard her speak, and that people were bathing in a whirlpool outside my window, having fun, speaking loudly. None of this happened. I have visited Harambe Detox twice for opiate detox, and I can speak only well about their treatment, and of them personally. It might surely not be for everyone, we are different and at least think we need different kinds of treatment, but if you are open-minded, if you don´t mind a familiar "down to earth" atmosphere, and are willing to communicate your needs in a normal open way, Harambe is a very good alternative. The testimonials on their website speak for themselves. Of course, they are still developing their place, some things will come in time, but both Bilal and Cathy have very well-founded knowledge and experience of ibogaine and the treatment. The magnesium at begin is to clear out the bowel, and Bilal speaks clear and open what its for, could be too open for sensitive ears. I for one felt very safe under Bilals guidance, and had a very intense time where I was truly transparent, emotionally aswell as physically strained. When under the influence it could be that fears one carries inside starts painting a picture of what one thinks is the outside, and massive distortions can occur. Again, as for me, I can only recommend Harambe Detox. As I said, for a better understanding of their treatment, who they are and what to expect, read into their website, and the many testimonials there from thankful guests. And, to get most out of ibogaine as such, try to come with an open mind. Some people have read too much beforehand, and have a clear picture of how the experience should be. Try not to. It will always be different.

[Disclaimer: this review is by the owner of a different Iboga center]
Myself and my girlfriend went for ibogaine treatment to harambe detox in Valencia - Spain as we thought we need professionals to make sure our experience is safe and we get most out of the trip. From the very first moment there was unpleasant and scary atmosphere. We arrived to their house and first words we've heard was: “there is no toilet paper and the reason for that is:,,if you put shit on you face you wouldn't wipe it with toilet paper, would you? Hahahaha” so that was the way to explain that we won't have any toilet paper. We went to our room which was also the treatment room. There was no hot water so after journey we couldn't take a shower. As there was no toilet paper we had to wash ourselves in cold water whenever we went to toilet. Additionally we got huge dose of magnesium as Bilau said: “to release all the shit from intestines” so imagine you have diarrhea all the time, there is no hot water either toilet paper and on second day of arrival for few hours when effects of magnesium were the worst there was no water at all as Bilau decided to do building works just before our trip.
In the bathroom for both of us there was 1 tiny hand towel for entire week.
Before the treatment my girlfriend was stressed but it didn't stop Bilau from making jokes like: “don't worry, I will fuck you up, hahahaha” - while talking about the doses and the treatment itself, which meant to be a joke again but in this situation it wasn't funny at all and it wasn't the best way to build trust and safe atmosphere before the treatment.
Let's talk about the treatment itself. We got doses and were waiting for the effects to come, we lay on the bed finally and he closed the door etc. My girlfriend was getting panic while I got knocked down by the dose and started strong trip. They didn't bother to be quiet which on trip is so important but run family life and made noises in the most important time of our trips without any consideration of us being there even though they know your senses are very sensitive while on iboga. Noises were highly disruptive, didn't even bother to close the door from the living room and silent the treatment room. Because of this I was not able to go deep but was more in and out, in and out all the time. Therefore I didn't get as much from trip as I could if there would be a professional approach. My girlfriend went through absolute terror as a reason of wrong set and setting and general atmosphere of dominance and mistrust and he had no clue how to help her out (the only thing he could do was to ask: “are you ok?”. Even though he claims to have several years of experience with iboga he behaves like a child and I have a feeling that I would be able to make much better trip myself.
Bilau mentioned several times that he had problems before with women coming for the treatment and not feeling comfortable there with him and with his methods, but with their unprofessional approach no wonder he got several complaints from people and there were people who wanted to take him to the court. Even though he had so many complaints from women clients previously (which he admits he had) he still kept blaming my girlfriend that she doesn't feel safe because SHE has a “trust issues” so ones again he never takes any responsibilities for his actions and behaviors and doesn't understand that people come for the treatment to him because they need safe environment and care for their trip otherwise they could do it themselves.
The good thing I must say was that when my girlfriends first trip was bad (due to his wrong set up and attitude and not being able to deal with the bad trip) he offered a second trip free of charge which my girlfriend took and this one wasn't good either. He wanted to make it right but he just couldn't do it...
On the website states: “fresh meals cooked everyday from organic veg from our garden” but the only meal we ever got was few grapes, 3 apples and tap water. We have been suggested to buy fruit and food ourselves for which we had to walk 5km one way everyday. For the entire week we spent there we were never offered even any tea or coffee or asked if we need anything at all so being weak and tired after treatment we had to walk 10k to buy some food.
We couldn't use internet as the “internet is only for family”, we've been asked to switch off lights all the time as there was no enough electricity while lights in their rooms were on most of the time and the music was played loudly in their living room just 1m away from the treatment room.
Another nice gesture of them was that because there was two of us at the same time we asked for some discount on the price and they gave as a total discount of €300 which they didn't have to give as we only asked when we arrived.
Overall for both of us we paid €3000 and all we got for that was a bed, dose of iboga, one tiny towel, few grapes, 3 apples and that's it. If you are looking for a professional care and supportive environment for your tremendously important treatment of your life then I certainly wouldn't say thats the right place to go.
The guys have very good intentions and they want to make it right but they have no clue how to make it right because they don't listen or take any feedback, they are only focused on their own family life and thats their only priority, that their family life is undisturbed and it's not about people getting professional treatment. So there was shouting, loud music, partying while us being on the trip – no problem for them. They would need way more effort to focus on client, lead client through experience, teach the client how to cope with negative emotions while on the trip etc but they just have no skills or empathy to do it. I don't blame them for that, its just the way they are and they can not do any better than that. Very childish approach without taking any responsibility for the client. With their current attitude it can be actually a very dangerous experience. You get something which doesn't match at all with what is described on the website. We were shocked that something like that can happen and that people can be so selfish while charging so much money for such a poor service. Would I recommend it to others or come back again? NO F… WAY!
REPLY FROM HARAMBE DETOX CENTRE
I have to defend myself against these very negative accusations. I will take each of his comments point by point. Firstly how was the atmosphere scary? I stayed awake to pick them up 3am when they missed their train and brought them to our house a 50km round trip.
There is no toilet paper for 2 reasons, the first is that we have many people who think that it is ok to stuff rolls of paper down the toilet and it is Spanish plumbing which quickly blocks up, therefore the waste water comes back into the house and no matter how many times we tell people they ignore our requests and we always end up having to unblock the toilets and it is a very unpleasant situation. The second reason is that the shower water cleaning method is used by millions of people around the world and is much cleaner and more environmentally friendly. It is true that, if you put shit on you face you wouldn't wipe it with toilet paper, blunt but true.
We do have hot water, I dont understand why they didnt and if you didnt then why not say it to us, the hot water that is available in all the house comes from the same gas tank so if I have it, then they have it, if it is not coming through to their room then there would be some problem but how would I know this if they could not tell me. It takes time to heat up and travel through the pipes, maybe they gave up while waiting the 2 minutes for the hot water to come through. The water is totally filtered and drinkable with a state of the art filter, we try to be as self sufficient as we can be, solar power, filtered water, growing our own food, this does not equate to the deluxe living that some people in the western world are used to, such as leaving every appliance plugged in, leaving the lights on all night etc.
The magnesium flush is a part of the treatment, most bidets in the world are cold water, most people do not mind this but as the review is rather toilet fixated so maybe it was really an issue for them, but I make no apology for this. Towels are available and supplied so that point is not true.
I will agree that my comment to his girlfriend which was totally a joke and using street vernacular which I am used to, may have been too much for her sensitive disposition. Most people coming to me want to be fucked up, to lose themselves in order to find themselves, otherwise why would you do this at all? I am used to talking like that with people, sorry if I am rough round the edges, I am who I am.
I am not in the business of wishing to hurt someone so why would she even think that? My suspicion is that she was afraid of a black man, afraid of being in a black mans house, I am well used to this attitude from many people and have lived with it all my life .....what to do? I blame the media personally.
It is not true that we made loads of noise, auditory hallucinations are common, people think we are having a total rave or fighting, but its all in their head. Cathy took the kids out as she always does for the majority of the sensitive part of the trip. He went so deep that he could not talk, his girlfriend who was not getting deep due to her own unfounded fear of me, was talking his out of his trip, it has happened before with couples, even friends in the same room.
What was the atmosphere of dominance and unprofessionality? I have much more experience than him at this, if people want me to hold their hand then I do, but they were cold shouldering me after their initial friendliness, he wanted to protect his girlfriend and really did not want me talking to her at all, again I am used to this, iboga can make people react strangely.
No-one is taking me to court, can you imagine someone taking anyone to court because they tried iboga?
I do not have many complaints from women and I did not say that. I said that when taking iboga, I become the focus of some women who for whatever reason have been hurt by men, maybe their father, they start to attack me sometimes physically, sometimes verbally, but this is under the iboga, after they come round the aggression subsides, it is not personal, I dont take it personally.
Fresh food is cooked all day, what an insult to Cathy who cooks all day from 7am, 2 large pots of coffee are brewed in the morning, tea is available, we are not servants, there is a kettle, a fridge stocked with food, full fruit bowl, they claimed that he was gluten intolerant and I am so there is plenty of gluten free food in my house but they made the choice every day, walking to the village to buy white bread and pork which is all that is available in those villages, he insisted on doing that saying he wanted something to do. He claimed he had never felt so energised and alive!!! Him and his girlfriend were really drunk one night after they had been in the village bars till about 1am, really unbelievable behaviour for people doing iboga.
I did not give his girlfriend a free treatment because of anything I had done, I gave it to her, as I gave them discount out of the kindness of my heart as she was so nervous that the first did not work, that is a very rare occurrence and has nothing to do with me, it is the way the body processes the alkaloids. They basically got a good ride so they thought they would spend the money they had saved on eating out and taxis, that was their choice.
We didnt say that internet was for family only, we said it was limited, so we dont give out wifi access, also as people can start writing messages to their family that they are in the war or that they have been kidnapped and freaking out the family while they are on iboga! Also another thing you dont need to be on the computer while doing treatment as it interferes with the process.
What family home has parties every day? I have to say he has a vivid imagination! I wish I had the time or energy to party continuously, my life is looking after people, staying awake so that I can watch that people are safe. They shut themselves in the bedroom the whole time, terrified to talk to us, even at the expense of their own happiness. Maybe he should learn not be afraid to talk face to face with people, when asked if needed anything he just grinned and said no, we are not mind readers but we knew they did not like us, we have all sorts of people come here, most are fantastic interesting people, then there is the 1% that makes you feel uncomfortable in your own house and you wait for them to leave and move on.
Iboga is not for the faint hearted. Be warned!!!!!

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